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Disclaimer:'MS Views and News' DOES NOT endorse any products or services found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.

Friday, November 30, 2018

You're at a restaurant with friends and the question comes up before you've even had a chance to look over the menu: drinks, anyone? If you have multiple sclerosis, you may want to think it through before you say, "yes." If you ask experts whether alcohol and MS mix, the answer is, "it's complicated." Like a lot of things in life, there are some pros and cons to the issue.

Why It May Be OK

One potential benefit of alcohol is the possibility that moderate amounts may be good for heart health. Why is that important if you've got MS?

"There is some data that MS patients are a little more likely to have cardiovascular disease than the general population," says Anthony Reder, MD, professor of neurology at the University of Chicago Medicine, "so it might be beneficial for MS patients to drink in moderation."

How much is moderate? The government's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" says it's one drink a day if you're a woman and up to two drinks a day if you're a man.

Why You Should Think Twice

There are a few things you should know before you open up that bottle of beer.

"Alcohol affects the central nervous system, meaning it can impact judgment, balance, and coordination," says Barbara Giesser, MD, professor of clinical neurology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine.

"And since MS can also lead to problems with balance and coordination, adding alcohol on top of that may make those issues even worse."

Another reason to be cautious is that alcohol can make you feel like you need to pee in a hurry. It's a problem that you could already be dealing with because of your MS.

Alcohol can affect how well you sleep. That can also be an issue with MS, so you may not want to add to your troubles by drinking.

Not everyone reacts to alcohol the same way. "Some people may become more sensitive than others to how much drinking alcohol impacts their MS symptoms," Giesser says. "So while drinking in moderation may not impact some people at all, even one drink might be too much for someone else. The best thing is to use common sense when deciding how much to drink."

Medicines and Alcohol Aren't a Good Fit

Some of the drugs you take may not mix well with alcohol. "Many MS medications have the potential for irritating or damaging the liver," Giesser says. So does drinking a lot of alcohol. If you drink heavily, you could wind up overtaxing your liver and increasing your risk for liver damage.

On top of that, specific meds you use to control your MS symptoms can interact with alcohol and change the way you feel.

"Some of the Valium-family of drugs MS patients take to deal with anxiety and stiffness could mix with the alcohol and make you feel more floppy than usual," Reder says. Plus, opiates that help control your pain can make you sleepy -- something that can also get worse when you add alcohol.

What About Your Friends Who Don't Have MS?

Some people may wonder if there's a chance that drinking can raise your risk of getting MS. There's no evidence that it does.

Some research suggests the opposite. A study by the Institute of Environmental Medicine in Sweden shows drinking could lower your risk of multiple sclerosis. The reason? Alcohol reduces inflammation in the body and MS is an "inflammatory" disease.

Before anybody wants to shoot this messenger, being me, I want you all to know that i just found this article on WebMD. Today is November 30, 2018 and the time is currently just past 10pm EST.Though this is the first time I am seeing this information, I wanted to share with my MS community

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease. Your immune system attacks your central nervous system and damages your nerve fibers. That makes it hard for your brain to "talk" with the rest of your body and causes symptoms like weakness, tingling or numbness in your limbs, trouble speaking, chronic pain, depression, and vision loss.

Several medications are used to treat MS. They can cause serious side effects, and over time, they can stop working for some people. But a new treatment involving stem cells may work for people who have relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and haven't been helped by other medicines.

With RRMS, you'll have no symptoms or very mild ones for a period of time. Then you'll have severe symptoms, which is called a relapse, for a short while. RRMS eventually can turn into another form of the disease, where your symptoms don't ever go away.

What Is Stem Cell Therapy for MS?

Stem cells can turn into different kinds of cells in your body. Hematopoietic stem cells make blood cells. Some doctors use a type of stem cell treatment called hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat RRMS. But more research is needed to know how well HSCT works against it.

With HSCT, doctors give you medication to help you make more bone marrow stem cells. Then they take some blood and save the stem cells from it to use later. You'll next get high doses of chemotherapy and other strong medications to severely slow down your immune system. This is done in a hospital, and you may need to stay there up to 11 days.

Your doctor puts the stem cells into your bloodstream so they can become new white blood cells and help your body build a new, healthy immune system. You'll also get medicines like antibiotics to help fight off infections and other illnesses until your immune system can do its job again.

Treatment usually takes several weeks. Recovery may take several months. Every person is different, but when treatment is successful, your immune system should be back to full strength in 3 to 6 months.

Is Stem Cell Therapy Effective?

HSCT doesn't work for everyone with MS. Most people who get it are taking part in research studies called clinical trials that test if a treatment or medication is safe and effective.

One trial of 24 people with RRMS found that 69% who had stem cell therapy didn't have a relapse in MS symptoms or new brain lesions, which are caused by MS, 5 years after treatment.

Scientists are also looking for other ways to use stem cells to treat the disease.

What Is MRI?

MRI is a test that produces very clear pictures of the human body without the use of X-rays. It uses a large magnet, radio waves and a computer to produce these images.

MRI can often detect damaged areas in the brain or spinal cord that would be missed by other imaging techniques such as a CAT scan.

Why Do I Need to Get an MRI?

To detect MS. MRI is considered the best test to help diagnose MS. However, 5% of people with MS do not have abnormalities detected on MRI; thus, a "negative" scan does not completely rule out MS. In addition, some common changes of aging may look like MS on a MRI.

To track the progress of disease. Although they aren't widely needed, people with MS may get repeat scans to determine the status of their disease and how well their medications are working.

Is the MRI Exam Safe?

Yes. The MRI exam poses no risk to the average person if appropriate safety guidelines are followed. Many people who have had heart surgery and people with the following medical devices can be safely examined with MRI (the metals used in these surgeries are not "magnetic" and the person can be safely placed in the MRI machine):

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is different for everyone who has it. The symptoms it causes and when they flare up vary not only between people but also throughout one person’s life. This means it can be hard for doctors to diagnose someone with the condition. They might say you "probably" or "possibly" have MS.Your diagnosis is based on the symptoms you have, how and when they flare up or improve, which of your body’s functions give you trouble, and your test results. There’s no way to predict how your condition will change throughout your life. It may take time, but as your doctor gets more clues about the type of MS you have, you can have a clearer idea of how it will affect you in the coming years.

The way the disease changes and gets worse is different for each of the four types of MS:

Relapsing-remitting MS:People with this type have attacks when their symptoms get worse, called relapses, followed by full, partial, or no recovery. These flares seem to change over several days to weeks. Recovery from an attack takes weeks, sometimes months, but symptoms don’t get worse during this time. Most people have this type when they’re first diagnosed with MS.

Primary-progressive MS:In this type, symptoms gradually get worse without any obvious relapses or remissions. About 15% of all people with MS have this form, but it’s most common type for people diagnosed after age 40.

Secondary-progressive MS:People who get this type usually start with relapsing-remitting MS. Over time, symptoms stop coming and going and begin getting steadily worse. The change may happen shortly after MS symptoms appear, or it may take years or decades.

Progressive-relapsing MS:This is the least common form of the disease. Symptoms steadily get worse, but people also have flares that may or may not be followed by some recovery. At first, people with this type may seem to have primary-progressive MS.

Pathologic itching is a rare, unusual MS symptom that isn't discussed enough. In this video we're going to do just that! If you'd like to learn about neuropathic itching in MS, then this video is for you!
Please share you own experiences with pathologic itching in MS, as well as your opinions, questions and comments below! I look forward to reading them and will answer each and every one!

As mentioned in Dr. Boster's video of a previous recording for Rare and Unusual MS symptoms, this can be accessed by clicking here: https://goo.gl/nHmoC4

Provided by Aaron Boster, MD
Rare and Unusual MS Symptoms (as he has seen in his clinic)In this video I share the most rare and uncommon Multiple Sclerosis symptoms I've seen* in over a decade and a half of clinical practice. Want to hear about the 8 most unusual MS symptoms I've seen, then start watching this video RIGHT NOW!

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Even if you can’t go for a run on the beach, you can enjoy the sounds and the scenery.

iStock

Further. Faster. Higher. Longer.

Those are words that once described how I spent my hours devoted to hobby. I liked to go for long hikes in nature. Winters would find me in the backcountry with either a set of Nordic skis or custom-made snowshoes strapped to my feet (and a rucksack full of good food and wine strapped to my back).

It’s taken me a long time to process through the stages of grief that accompanied losing those pastimes. In many cases, I’m not sure I even knew I was processing.

How We Identify Ourselves When Stripped of Career and Hobbies

Just as many of us use our careers to identify who we are to the world, so, too, do many with their hobbies. Scratch golfers and century cyclists are part of cocktail party lexicon, right alongside board members and shop foremen. We’ve allowed ourselves to be identified by what we do, not just at work, but at play as well.

So I guess it makes sense that I felt a sense of loss at those avocations being taken from me, just as was my career.

Rather than let the world pass me by, however, I seem to have found a way to be out in it, but in a sustainable way now that I drag the MS ball and chain around wherever I go.

Nowadays a good bench — or a flat rock, sturdy stump, or fallen tree — where I can sit and be a part, even if I can’t take part, is what I’m talking about.

Simply Showing Up Is Worth a Lot

Finding a seat in the bleachers isn’t the same as jumping in on a pick-up game, but it’s still enjoyable. Plopping myself on a sand dune isn’t the same as going for a run on the beach, but I’m still breathing in the same salt air. A bench in a busy shopping center during the holidays isn’t rushing around and meeting people, but you’re never alone for long on a bench in a mall.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

f you or a loved one find you can't do the same activities you did before you were diagnosed with MS, the Social Security Administration (SSA), may be able to assist you. The SSA has two types of benefit programs to provide you with the financial support you may need when dealing with a disabling illness.

The Financial Costs of MS

In study done by the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, researchers named MS the second most expensive of chronic conditions, behind only congestive heart failure. Per person, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates that the diseases costs $69,000 each year, which adds up to about $28 billion in total in the United States.

Most of the medical costs come from the medication to treat the illness. A study from Oregon State University and the Oregon Health and Science University found that the average annual price for the disease modifying drugs (DMDs) alone was about $60,000. Though there are many different drugs on the market, Healthline found that all of the DMDs were priced between $4,500 and $6,000 per month.

MS can be diagnosed at any time during a person's life, but most people get the disorder between 20 and 40 years of age. Because MS is diagnosed so young, the financial burden is even greater. Though many patients are covered by insurance, 70 percent report having trouble paying for drugs, 16.4 reported having a lot of difficulty, and 21 percent said they had to sacrifice on food, heat, and other basic living expenses to afford the drugs, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society explained.

Medically Qualifying for Benefits with the Blue Book

When you apply for disability benefits, the SSA evaluates your claim using it's official list of impairments, the Blue Book. If you meet or equal the Blue Book listing for MS, you will be approved for benefits.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

UPDATE: Dr. Ben Thrower and Aryn Sieber of Cannaisseur Brands discuss the ins and outs, and ups and downs of using cannabis and CBD therapies in MS. The history, the myths, the laws, and how to find a good provider of this medicine.
*Please check local and state laws regarding cannabis and CBD use. Currently using some of these medicines are illegal under federal law. Please check with your medical team before starting any new medicinal regimen.EXCELLENT PRESENTATION provided by Ben Thrower, MD ~~ A Must watch exclaims Stuart Schlossman::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Monday, November 26, 2018

SYDNEY — Australian researchers have made a breakthrough in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis using immunotherapy. Their world-first trial has produced promising results for the majority of patients enrolled, they said, including a reduction in fatigue and improvements in mobility and vision.

The treatment targets the Epstein-Barr virus in the brain that Australian researchers believe plays a role in the development of Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, a disease of the central nervous system. Immune cells extracted from patients’ blood have been “trained” in a laboratory to recognize and destroy the virus.

“What happens in MS, there is an immune reaction going on in your brain that is represented as if that your immune system is attacking the brain cells,” said Rajiv Khanna, a professor at Queensland’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. “Once that happens, your normal function in the brain gets impaired. We are trying to develop a treatment that could actually, sort of, make the immune system to work properly rather than going in the wrong direction.”

Researchers hope the treatment could stop the progression of MS. They say the trial is significant because they have shown the technique is safe and has had positive improvements in an autoimmune disease.

Seven of the 10 participants in the Queensland trial have reported positive changes, including Louise Remmerswaal, a mother from Queensland.

“Ever since the trial, it has just improved so much that now I can go out and spend time with my family and friends,” she said.

Further research is planned in Australia and the United States.

The new therapy is developed by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane and the University of Queensland.

The results of the clinical trial have been published in the peer-reviewed journal, JCI Insight.

Since its September 2010 approval in the U.S., a total of 35 cases have been reported to the FDA or in medical studies of people becoming severely disabled and developing multiple new brain lesions (seen on magnetic resonance imaging, MRI) two to 24 weeks after stopping Gilenya treatment. The FDA notes that “there may be additional cases,” but the agency is not aware of them.

Most patients experienced a marked increase in disability within the first 12 weeks after discontinuing the medicine. Their disease worsening was greater than is typical for MS relapses, and seemed unrelated to their individual level of disease severity prior to starting on Gilenya.

“Several patients who were able to walk without assistance prior to discontinuing Gilenya progressed to needing wheelchairs or becoming totally bedbound,” the FDA stated in its safety announcement.

A patient’s ability to recover from these episodes varied. Out of the cases reported, 17 patients partly recovered, eight experienced permanent disability or no recovery, and six eventually returned to the level of disability they had before or while taking Gilenya.

Lymphopenia, or an abnormally low level of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) in the blood, results from Gilenya’s binding to S1P1 receptors on lymphocytes, retaining these cells in lymph nodes. Although this is the intended effect of the therapy, in excess it can raise a person’s risk of infection. As such, having a marker to predict an excessive lowering in lymphocyte numbers after treatment with Gilenya would be beneficial.

SYMPTOMS of MS

In multiple sclerosis , damage to the myelin in the central nervous system (CNS), and to the nerve fibers themselves, interferes with the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord and other parts of the body. This disruption of nerve signals produces the primary symptoms of MS, which vary depending on where the damage has occurred.

Over the course of the disease, some symptoms will come and go, while others may be more lasting.

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A web-blog (formerly known as Stu's Views and MS News), now published by MS Views and News, a patient advocacy organization. The information on this blog helps to Empower those affected by Multiple Sclerosis globally, with education, information, news and community resources.

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